Trap motion for textile machines



1,638,237 2 s. BOROVOY ET AL TRAP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed March 5, 1925 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

unirso stares rAT NT OFFICE.

SAMUEL BOROVOY AND WINTHRO? L. PERRY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, AS-

SIGNORS TO SACO-LOWELL SHOPS, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORP ORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS. V

TRAP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES.

Application filed March 5, 1925. Serial No.. 13,102.

twister mechanism, and some means under the control of said feeler for stopping the feed of the individual strands when thecomposite strand breaks. Such stopping of the feeding movement 01 the strands may be effected either by interrupting the action of the feed rolls, severing the strands, or clamping them at points behindthe teed rolls so that the motion of the feed rolls will break them.

While such a mechanism is effective in case the composite strand breaks, it takes care only very imperfectly-of a condition in which one'strand ot the composite thread,

breaks. This obviously is desirablesince otherwise an imperfect. composite thread would be produced. It is customary indoubling to twist together two left-hand strands with a right-hand twist. and consequently, it one strand breaks the other strand is supposed to be untwisted suliiciently to weaken it to such an extent that itwill break and thus allow the feeler to operate. This does not always occur, however. For example, it a strand of silk thread is being twisted with a worsted or cotton thread (the term threadwbeing here used to include either yarn or thread) the cotton or worsted strand is very much more likely to break than the silk strand, and the latter strand mayhave sulficient strengthto sustain the teeler in its normal position even after the other thread has broken and thuspreventthe'actuation 0f themechanism which interrupts the feed of the individual strands; vIt will also be evident that such a mechanism will not operate in any case where thebreaking of one strand or thread results in tightening the twist in the remainin strand, as for example, when both strands have a right-hand twist and are being doubled with a righthand twist.

The present invention relates to trap motions and 1t has for its chief .object to improve mechanisms of this character with a View to making them more reliable and capable of handling a wider range of conditions. It is also an object of the invention to devise a mechanism of this character which can be manufactured very economically and can be appliedrto the existing forms of twister frames with a minimum of.

expense and labor.

The nature of theinvention will be read ily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Y I

.Referring now to thedrawings,

igure 1 is a side elevation, partly in cross section, of the upper part of a twister frame equipped with a mechanism embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a View 01": certain parts of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 but showing them ina different condition; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a trap motion provided by this invention;

Figs. 4 and'5 are cross-sectional views through the thread clamping members of the trap motion,the adjacent parts bein shown in elevat1on;.and

. Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview ofa thread 7 part of the] mechanism guide which forms a shown in Fig. 1. v v e In the drawings,2 indicates a spindle, 3 a ring rail, and 4 'a ring of a ring twister frame of a common commercial type, The. thread board is indicated at 5, one of the thread guides at 6, the-upper and lower feed rolls at 7 and 8, respectively, andthe spool stand at 9. All of these parts are constructed, arranged and operated in the usual mannen As shown, two strands of thread a and b drawn from spools A and B, are guided through an eye 12,pas s between the feed, T rolls 7 and 8, and thence through the thread guide 6 to the traveller 13 on the ring4.

The ,trap motion shown comprises a thread .clamplng mechanism for engaging.

the strands a and 1) between the guide 12 and the feed rolls, and a feeler which engages these strands in front of the feed rolls, that is, between the feed rolls and the twister ring. The thread clamp comprises a rod 14 having a slot 15 extending from one end thereof axially of the rod for the greater part of its length. This rod is mounted adjustably but rigidly in a split bracket 16 which is clamped on a rod 17 that extends the entire length of the twister frame. Close- 1y encircling the rod 14: is a sleeve 18 which is cut away at its opposite sides to provide slots which can register with the slot 15 in therod. A weighted arm 20 is clamped securely to this sleeve and is bored and split to receive the sleeve, the split portions being drawn together by a screw 21. This arm also includes an integral offset lug 22;

The feeler, in the construction shown, consists simply of a wire having a shank portion 23 extending through a hole formed in the lug 22, the wire being bent both above and below the lug to prevent its escape from the lug. From this lug the feeler extends forwardtoward the front of the machine and terminates in a headQtl having a V.- shaped lower side to engage the strands a and Z). That is, the arms a and y of the head 24: extend downwardly toward each other from the wide portion of the head until they almost, or entirely meet.-

During normal ope-ration the parts are in substantially the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the slots in the two parts 1 and 18 of the thread clamp registering with each other, as shown in Fig. 4, so that a free passage is provided through the thread clamp for the travel of the strands a and b. a The thread clamp is held in this position by the feeler which, in turn, is supported jointlyby the strands a and 7), the strand 0 engaging the inclined arm 00, while the strand 7) engages the oppositely inclined arm y. It will be observed that the fcelcr holds the two strands spaced apart, the twist of the composite strand 0 stopping just in front of the feeler, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. So long as the strands a and 2') remain unbroken the parts will be held in the relationship just described. lVhen either strand breaks, however, the head 24- immediately slips sidowise, due to the engagement of one of the inclined arms m or y with the remaining strand. It then drops into the position shown in Fig. 2, partly due to its own weight and partly due to the weight of the arm 20. This rocks the sleeve 18 on the rod 14,-as shown in Fig. 5, and clamps the strands (land 5 between these two parts. The feed rolls? and 8 continue to rotate uninterruptedlyj and hence break bothstrands at a point behind the rolls; that is, between the rolls and the spools A and B. i This action occurs immediately after the breaking of either strand, and consequently any loss of thread or winding of the strands upon the feed rolls is avoided.

It will be observed that the lateral swinging of the feeler enables it to free itself from the unbroken strand, while its swinging movement about the axis of the rod 1% operates the movable member, 18 of the thread clamp. It will also be evident that the parts 14 and 18 of the thread clamp can be made to shear off the strands a and 7). This, however, is unnecessary in View of the fact that the strands will be broken immediately after they are clamped. Consequently, so far as this invention is concerned, a cutting mechanism for the. strands and a clamping mech anism for them are, broadly considered, equivalent devices.

It will be understood that the twister frame includes one trap motion for each spindle. In dotting it is desirable to hold all of the feelers ofthe entire set of trap motions temporarily in their normal positions in order to prevent the operation of the thread clamping mechanisms which probably would result in severing many of the threads in the frame. For this purpose a rock shaft 25 is mounted in the frame a short distance below the rod 17 and a series of arms 26 are secured to this shaft, these arms carrying a rod or wire 27 at their outer ends. A hand lever is provided on the rock shaft 25 at each end of the machine, so that by swinging this lever the rod or wire 27 can be moved into its dotted line position, Fig. 1, where it will bear against the shank portions of all the feelers in the frame and thus hold them in their normal positions.

In order to. keep the strands a and b spaced apart as they travel from their respective spools to the upper roll 7, we prefer to use for each thread guide 12, a construction such vention provides a simple form of trap mo tion whichcan be manufactured very eco nomically, can be easily installed on existing spinning frames, and which has the very important advantage over prior constructions of stopping the feeding movement of the strands when either strand breaks. This trap motion is particularly-useful in twisting together strands made of different fibres,

such, for example, as silk and worsted, silk 7 and cotton,or the like, since it will operate effectually under these circumstances where the prior trap motions have be-en veiiyunsatisfactory. At the'same'time ithas all of the advantages of prior constructions when used on strands composed of essentially the same fibre. r l

' While we have herein shown and described the best embodiment of our invention that we have so far devised, it is con-' templated that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim as new is:

1. In a machine for twisting together two strands of thread, the combination of a feeler for engaging the separate strands and holding them spaced apart, and means under the control of said feeler for stopping the feed of both strands when either strand breaks.

2. In a machine for twisting together two strands of thread, the combination of a feeler for engaging the individual strands and holding them spaced apart, said feeler being arranged to besupported jointly by said strands and mounted to move out of its normal position when either strand breaks, and means arranged to be brought into operation automatically upon such a movement of the feeler to stop the feeding of 130th strands.

3. In a machine for twisting together two strands of thread, the combination of a feeler having a V-shaped end port-ionarranged to be supported by the engagement of said strands with the inclined faces of.

said V-shaped part, and means under the control of said feeler for stopping the feed of both strands when either strand breaks.

4. In a twister frame, the combination of twister mechanism, feed rolls for feeding a plurality of strands of thread simultaneously to said mechanism to cause said strands tov be twisted together, a feeler arranged to engage the individual strands of thread be-. tween said twister mechanism and said rolls and normally supported jointly by said strands, and means under the control of said feeler for stopping the feed of all of said strands when any strand breaks 5. In a twister frame, the combination of twister mechanism, feed rolls for feeding a plurality of strands of thread simultaneously to said mechanism to cause said strands to be twisted together, a feeler arranged to engage the individual strands of thread between said twister mechanism and said rolls and normally supported ointly by said strands, but arranged to be released automatically by the breaking of any strand, and mechanism normally held inactive by said feeler but arranged to be brought into operation automatically by said movement of the feelerto clamp all of said strands at points behind said rolls. V

6. In a trap motion, the combination of a feeler for simultaneously engaging two threads spaced apart but located closely adjacent to each other, and thread gripping means normally held in an inactive position feeler for simultaneously engaging two threads spaced apart but located closely adjacent to each other, and thread gripping means normally held in an inactive condition by said feeler but arranged to be operated upon the release of said feeler, said feeler having oppositely inclined surfaces to engage respectively with said threads and being mounted to swing laterally away from either thread, whereby it will be released from both threads upon the breaking of either thread.

8. In a trap motion, the combination of a swinging feeler, two cooperating relatively rotatable thread gripping devices arranged to be operated by the swinging movement of said feeler, said feeler'having oppositely inclined surfaces to engage, respectively, with two threads spaced apart but located adjacent to each other and being mounted to swing freely away from either thread, Whereby said feeler will normally be supported jointly by said threads but Willb released from both threads by the breaking of either thread. 7

9. In a trap motion, the combination of a feeler mounted to swing about an axis, thread gripping devices arranged to be operated by said swinging movement of the feeler, said feeler. having oppositely inclined portions arranged to be engaged respectively by two threads spaced apart but located adjacent to each other, and being-mounted for a second swinging movement about an aXis extending substantially at right angles to the first mentioned axis.v

10 In a trap motion, the combination of feeler arranged to be supported between two strands of thread and tobe held in its operative position by the cooperative action thereon of said strands, whereby the feeler will move automatically out of said position upon the breaking of either thread, and thread clamping means under the control of said feeler.

11. In a trap; motion, the combination of a rod slotted longitudinally, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said rod and closely encircling it, said sleeve having slots in the opposite sides thereof to register with the slot in said rod, means for supporting said rod in a stationary position, an arm secured to said sleeve, and a feeler having a shank portion pivoted on said arm'for movement about an axis transverse to the axis of said rod, said feeler having an end portion provided with oppositely inclined thread engaging surfaces.

12. In a trap motion, the combination of a rod slotted inwardly from one end thereof a sleeve closely encircling sa'id rod but being'free to rock on said rod and having its opposite sides slotted to register with the slot in said rod, and a feeler connected with one of said parts and having a V-shaped end portion arranged to be supported by the engagement of two spaced threads with the inclined surfaces or said end portion, said 'l'eeler being pivoted for movement about an axis transverse to the axis of said rod.

13. In a trap motion, the combination of a rod slotted inwardly from one end thereof, a sleeve closely encircling said rod but being free to rock on said rod and having its opposite sides slotted to registed with the slot in said rod, a bracket for supporting said rod,

movement about an axis transverse to the axis of said rod, said feeler having oppositely inclined thread engaging surfaces arranged to cause the engagement of either surface alone with a thread to swing the :feeler on its pivot.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification.

SAMUEL BOROVOY. WINTHROP L. PERRY. 

